Birney, a retired NASA engineer, said he will miss several aspects of the job, including the opportunity to witness firsthand the upgrades the district has planned for the next few years. Those improvements include new Grissom and Johnson high schools, a new Whitesburg P-8, two new elementary schools and a new freshman academy at Huntsville High, Birney’s alma mater.

According to his biography on the Huntsville City Schools website, Birney has volunteered with groups like T.A.S.C., CASA, the Food Bank of North Alabama and the HEALS Clinics. He has also been a member of the South Huntsville Kiwanis Club, the Madison County Emergency Food and Shelter Board, the CAJA Friends Board and First Christian Church.